The Antetokounmpo Family Foundation Celebrates 5th Anniversary of the AntetokounBros Academy program with an event at The American College of Greece
The festive event took place in the presence of the Antetokounmpo family!
The Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation (CAFF) commemorated the 5th anniversary of the AntetokounBros Academy at The American College of Greece campus on Monday evening. The celebration marked a milestone for the Foundation and highlighted its profound partnership with The American College of Greece that empowers young people facing significant challenges to pursue their dreams.
At the Academy graduation ceremony, more than 130 athletes received medals and gifts, as well as 6 scholarships to basketball academies for kids to improve their skills, and 2 academic scholarships to study at Deree University. The Academy also gives an opportunity for young people 18-25 years old to train as junior coaches; one of them was awarded 10-month employment as the Academy Year 6 coach at Eurohoops from September 2024. The AntetokounBros Academy is a pro bono program by CAFF, supported by Nike, Kaizen Foundation, Ergon Foods, Bioiatriki Nutrition, and implemented by Eurohoops and the American College of Greece.
CAFF, a global charitable foundation founded by the Antetokounmpo family, has collaborated with the prestigious American College of Greece, founded in 1875, to expand the educational offerings of the AntetokounBros Academy. This includes integrating life skills, leadership development workshops, and mentoring into the AntetokounBros Academy’s curriculum.
This partnership also creates pathways to higher education for under-resourced youth and refugees, with CAFF providing college scholarships to ACG for graduates of the AntetokounBros Academy and supporting Education Unites ACG, The American College of Greece’s unique scholarship program serving refugee, migrant, and displaced students.
During the graduation ceremony, Giannis, Thanasis, Alex, and Kostas were joined on stage by the students of the ACG Education Unites, who are supported by CAFF. It was heartwarming to hear from these students: Fridoon Joinda from Afghanistan that upon his graduation from Communications & Journalism degree, he set up a podcast to promote immigrant and refugee voices (the UnTold Podcast); Memory Kondowe from Zimbabwe aspires to be an ecologist to help the communities and the environment; Amar Abouassaf from Syria dreams of combining his theatre studies major and political science to make a difference. Kostas Telianidi from Ukraine is studying Entrepreneurship and dreams of using his studies and talents to make a living doing what he loves.
A highlight of the ceremony was the conferral of an honorary doctorate degree from ACG upon Veronica Antetokounmpo, recognizing her exceptional contributions to philanthropy and education.
The evening finished with a special reception featuring distinguished speakers from both institutions, and members of the Antetokounmpo family. A panel discussion consisting of The American College of Greece Vice President of Advancement Alison Townley, Domna Michailidou, Former Greek Minister of Labor and Bill Karnazes, Chief Services Officer at Viohalco, shared their thoughts and ideas about how Greece can create a more inclusive society.
Alison Townley, Vice President of Advancement, The American College of Greece:
“Here at the American College of Greece, I think we have tons of examples of programs that promote inclusivity. We have 70 nations represented at this school, 7.500 students from the ages of pre-kindergarten to graduate level, and I would say that one of the hallmark programs, that we are so proud and grateful to the Antetokounmpo family for supporting us, is Education Unites. So, as you heard today earlier, with the help of the family and the CAFF Foundation we are now supporting 40 students per year, refugees from all over the world, to achieve their education, to get degrees.”
CAFF also announced that they will be expanding the Academy to Milwaukee this summer, and that the new name of this program will be the Antetokounmpo Academy, across the two geographies and hopefully many more places over the coming years. The other important announcement was the launch of CAFF Work, a Vocational Training Program, with a pilot, powered by Viohalco. This initiative will empower people from vulnerable demographics with high on demand industrial skills and knowledge, combined with on-the-field practice. With this initiative, Viohalco and CAFF are aiming to promote a more inclusive workforce offering equal job opportunities while contributing to a more diverse, open and resilient society.
Later in the evening, the Antetokounmpo family was brought on stage to talk about their vision for the Foundation and why the mission to fuel opportunities for kids around the globe is so important to them.”
The goal was always to make this bigger than basketball, Giannis noted during his speech. ‘We want to be remembered for what we do for the community, So we seek to inspire others to get involved, extending the impact far beyond just what our one family can do.”
Alex added: “We are one community. We all need each other. A great player needs a good coach. A good dish needs good ingredients. In order to accomplish something great, you need to be surrounded by great people. As a family, we have high expectations and high goals and to achieve them, we partner with great people who share our vision.”
The Antetokounmpos are proof that where opportunity and determination meet, all things are possible. And CAFF was created to mobilize that impact on a global scale. Because the Antetokounmpo family has been blessed by so many, and the beneficiaries of so much generosity given by others, they feel responsible to be a part of fueling more opportunities for this same type of support that was initially given to them. That’s what CAFF is all about.
The 4 brothers shared their mentality and approach in a heartwarming way:
Thanasis called the kids who overcome difficult circumstances ‘superhumans’, noting that these kids have the strength to change the world, and that these are the same kids whom CAFF is supporting. Giannis agreed: “We wouldn’t be here today without the people who stood by us, the supportive community around us. We wouldn’t be able to go to school, play basketball in the playground. Some people gave us their arm and we grabbed it. That’s why we can identify with kids from vulnerable backgrounds and think they do make a superhuman effort to overcome their circumstances.”
Kostas chimed in: “And, we will never be able to find solutions if everyone thinks the same. Diversity is very important, celebrating that everyone is different and that a good team needs different people who play together, like a team.”
Alex added, “We want to participate and be involved because of the kids. It only takes one person, one example to believe you can do it. So when the kids see good role models, they automatically think that they can do it too and can give back as well. Those superhumans are the next ones to be sitting here in our place, right? Being able to inspire them to build their own community is what we are trying to do”.
Thanassis commented: “As a family we know we have a responsibility because we are a source of inspiration. Yes, athletes can have a nice house and a nice car which is ok, but we want to show what it means to be an athlete – to participate, to give back, to show up, to give a hug, to help, and that everything we do comes from the heart.”
The family thanked their supporters and donors and emphasized that the family is adamant that this organization is not just about fundraising and grantmaking and programming but about talking about issues that are important to the community and using their platform to address real world challenges.
The event concluded with a sense of achievement and optimism for the future, underscoring the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation’s ongoing dedication to nurturing the potential of youth through holistic education and community support.